It eventually took 32 balls for Keaton Jennings to get off the mark, guiding one from Oliver Hannon-Dalby past third slip for two.

He'll feel a bit better, you'd expect. His team need him here.

Rob Yates is going to bowl a bit of spin from the James Anderson End, fresh from a couple of tidy slip catches he's also first change. Busy bear.

Ben Compton gets down on one knee to whip Simon Harmer away to the long leg boundary for four, which takes him to 37 and takes Kent into three figures.

A ripple of applause from a sun-soaked crowd who have not had overly much to clap over the past two days.

Ben Brown and Liam Dawson milk six more risk-free runs from Dan Lawrence's 25th over of the innings.

It's back to spin at both ends and Dawson sweeps Cam Steel down to third man for four and takes the lead past 300.

Any thoughts that may bring a declaration from James Vince have come and gone.

Hants bat on.

Kent really, really needed to keep wickets intact and try and bat out the rest of the day.

It might not be entirely fatal for them but that (Marcus O'Riordan) was the wicket that Essex craved before the finish of the day.

If they can get more then they'll be massively in credit.

George Bell picks up a single off Oliver Hannon-Dalby to final give the scoreboard operator something to do.

Michael Rae then gives up his first runs of the match in his fifth over with a lovely back-foot punch down the ground for four from Bell.

Rae beats Bell's bat from the next ball, Lancashire are moving in the right direction but the pressure is not going away.

In case you weren't aware, England are currently playing Pakistan in a T20 international at Edgbaston.

Pakistan are chasing a target of 184 and you can follow that match here.

Graeme van Buuren raises the tempo with back to back boundaries off Anuj Dal before steering Daryn Dupavillon away for another.

He is 40 not out and, not to be undone, James Bracey adds one of his own to end Dupavillon's over and bring up a 50 partnership.

When you're luck's out.

Liam Dawson looks to cut Dan Lawrence but so nearly chops onto his stumps.

Dawson adds a single and then improvises wonderfully to paddle sweep a legside delivery from Jordan Clark to the rope.

Dawson moves to 27 and the Hampshire lead is nearing 300.

24 balls without scoring for Keaton Jennings.

Four maidens to start from Michael Rae. Oliver Hannon-Dalby has two, to be fair.

Warwickshire have their tails up and are smothering their hosts in the sunshine.

Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman are one of the most experienced opening pairs on the circuit, so they will no doubt have experienced this situation before.

Ollie Robinson and Jayden Seales are a quality new-ball pair for Sussex, and the Middlesex openers are content just to see things tick along for the time being.

Image source, Rex Features

Joe Clarke is beginning to motor now.

He follows a four off Ben Gibbon with a couple more and then ends the over with a single to move to 23 off 45 balls.

The Notts man was dropped on nought by wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick. He will be praying it doesn't cost too many more.

Notts lead by 61.

Three straight maidens to start for Michael Rae.

Keaton Jennings remains scoreless after 18 balls.

Impressive start from the Warwickshire seamers.

Jordan Clark hangs his head as Ben Brown gets a fine edge and it just evades the right-hand glove of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

It speeds away for four and brings up the fifty partnership with Liam Dawson, off just 68 balls.

Brown helps himself to two more boundaries off Dan Lawrence's next over before a single brings up the Hampshire 400 in 129 overs.

Joe Clarke cuts dismissively at a loose Ben Gibbon delivery to collect his first boundary from his 35th ball.

It's a rare error from Gibbon who has been tidy from his nine overs. Just the 22 runs from them.

The Notts lead passes 50.

You would imagine that Luke Procter would be playing the leading role in this partnership. Not so.

It's Ben Sanderson who is scoring more freely at present and despite a leg slip being stationed, he turns Matthew Revis safely down to fine leg for four and is now 25 not out.

Procter has 69 as Vishwa Fernando begins a new over from the opposite end.

Jordan Clark returns and Ben Brown cuts his second ball and canters through for a single.

In the process he becomes the fourth Hampshire batter to bring up his fifty.

He's twice been dismissed in the 40s this season, but reaches the mark for the second time in 2024. And the 53rd time in his first-class career.

It's been a well-paced knock, taking full value from ideal batting conditions, and comes off 74 balls, with five fours.

Only the unfortunate Fletcha Middleton has fallen short of the half-century mark for Hants so far.

The partnership with Liam Dawson moves to 45.

Michael Rae, shaven head and white headband gleaming in the Manchester sun, sends in 12 straight dot balls to Keaton Jennings to start.

The skipper is yet to get off the mark as Josh Bohannon has all 12 runs in the opening four overs, courtesy of three boundaries.